Craaven

Chapter 4: A few miles east of Stonehenge; 1977

I woke up suddenly to a sickening feeling in my stomach. I groaned pathetically and rolled onto my back to try and ease the feeling but it only worsened. I laid there, completely motionless waiting for the nausea to subside and for my head to stop spinning. It took way longer than I would've liked but when it finally did somewhat disappear, I abruptly came to the realisation that the world felt distractingly larger. And my body felt much more familiar than it had been the past few days.

Confused, I slowly pulled myself and was immediately taken aback by the natural movements I had gone through for many years as a human boy. The relief and happiness overwhelmed me and my feelings were only made better when my eyes saw for themselves, my skinny human limbs and pale skin. All of a sudden, my nausea didn't even matter as my happiness in becoming human again pushed every other thought out of my mind.

It didn't even occur to me how this was possible or why it had happened. I was simply too excited to care. I stood to my feet and, even though my nausea caused me to lean on my knees for a moment, I still managed to find the strength to pinch my skin and run my fingers through my hair to make sure I wasn't just dreaming.

"We meet again." a voice disrupted my excitement and caused me to whip around in sheer fear. I instinctively covered myself and flushed red with embarrassment but my feelings only worsened when my eyes met with Hawky's familiar orange and green eyes. What more does he possibly want from me!?

"What is your problem!?" I asked in outrage.

Hawky sat a ways away from me behind an odd green campfire, he poked and prodded at it with a long stick and him, combined with the scenery around us made me almost think I was in some strange fantasy land, but it was real life and that fact was hard for me to process.

"Good morning," Hawky disregarded my question and his tone was disdainful.

"You didn't answer me," I pointed out, to which Hawky only flashed me a silent glare before returning to his task at the magical fire.

"You certainly have quite the attitude, boy... you should respect your elders," the man snivelled. I frowned as a rising annoyance bubbled within me.

"Well, I haven't exactly been feeling the nicest, considering you traumatized me right after I was just traumatized! Asshole," I spat. Hawky returned his gaze to me and he studied me intently from under his heavy brow.

"Well forgive me if my planning didn't coincide with your personal tragedies. I do not care for your mental state," he informed stoically and held out his arm to the space in front of the fire. I refused his offer and firmly kept my place where I stood.

"What is your problem?" I questioned in frustration.

Hawky's face remained completely the same and he set the stick next to him to focus completely on me, "My problem is you. Your future and existence are going to damn many people and cause much suffering... so I need you dead as soon as possible." His tone and how calm he was saying those words probably scared me more than the actual message. He clearly didn't value me as human life and only saw me as a problem and nothing else. I was just a plague to him.

"What-?" I squeaked.

Hawky's piercing stare remained fixed on me and I felt smaller under his gaze and far more vulnerable than before.

"You heard me very well, boy. I turned you into an animal so you would be easier to kill... of course, I never counted on you to meet that other bird. You're clever, I'll give you that," Hawky explained calmly

"Why do you care about what I do to other people?" I wondered weakly. Hawky gestured to the place in front of the fire again and finally, I decided to listen. I slowly approached the spot and hesitantly sat down in the grass. I was tense and untrusting but I would rather be painfully tense than be relaxed when he suddenly strikes and tries to kill me.